Chapter Five: Friends
"Mama?" the child questioned softly.
The woman did not stir from her silent gaze at the star light streaking by the windows.
"Mama!" the child cried more insistently.
The woman's gaze shifted as she finally heard the calls of the child. Her eyes fell to the tiny person tugging on her uniform. She smiled at the little one's blue eyes sparkling while she giggled.
"Mama, what were you looking at?" the little girl asked.
"Nothing, sweet Katja," the mother replied.
"There can't be nothing," Katja replied as she climbed into her mother's lap on the chair. "There's always something."
"Now you're sounding like your father," the mother replied with a soft sigh as she draped her arms around her daughter.
The child remained quiet after her mother spoke. She found a few loose strands of her mother's hair that had strayed from the tightly made, rope-like braid. She laid her head against her mother's chest as she twirled the hair strands in her fingers. She could hear the echoing thump of her mother's heart inside and it comforted her a little more.
"When is Daddy going to come?" Katja asked.
"Soon," she assured her. "He's a very busy person, your father is."
"Is he mad at us?" she said with some sadness.
"No, of course not!" the mother cooed as she ran one of her hands over Katja's hair. "Why do you think he's mad at us?"
"He was yelling," Katja softly said. "Before we left, it was after my birthday."
The mother thought for a moment and realized what the little girl was thinking about.
"Your father wasn't yelling…"
"He was really loud," Katja said quickly, cutting her mother off.
"Yes, he can be very loud but he was not yelling at the time," the mother said, carefully choosing her words. "We had a disagreement."
"About what?" Katja asked.
The mother sighed; her daughter was of the age when children are full of questions. She did not want to scare her daughter with the truth but she could not let herself hide Katja from it either.
"Mama?" Katja called squirming slightly.
"Liebchen, Daddy will be coming to be with us in a few weeks," she explained tediously. "But he might be different."
"Why different?"
Her voice was caught in her throat, how could one explain the situation to such a young child? One so young, so innocent, and who loved her father so dearly. She could feel the anguish of feeling betrayed inside building up again. She held back the urge to cry, she could not do that in front of Katja, not now. She could try to explain the procedure to Katja, but her daughter hated it when she went into, as Katja put it, 'doctor mode'. She had to remain the loving mother figure at this time in her daughter's life.
The sudden feeling of slowing momentum became apparent and the two of them glanced out the window to see that the stars had stopped their streaking. She could see the shining crescent of a nearby gas planet as the starship crossed its orbital path on its way further into the solar system.
We're here…
* * *
"Katja, stay by me," she called after her daughter.
She could see the little brunette head bobbing ahead of her with her favorite teddy bear in one arm and the other swinging as she skipped along. She quickened her pace to catch up to Katja and caught the swinging arm and held the tiny hand to keep her close. The corridors were busy with many Starfleet crewmembers moving about with preparations.
"Mama, you walk too fast," Katja complained as she attempted to keep pace with her mother's long strides.
"Come here," she said as she stopped and hefted her daughter to her hip. "Now hold on tight."
They made their way further along the hallways and finally came upon the hatch. Next to the hatch where people were going out stood…
"Uncle Hendrik!" squealed Katja as she stretched out her arms to embrace the man standing by their exit.
"How is my favorite niece?" the tall commander bellowed as he received Katja, who gave him the biggest hug she could muster with her small arms around his neck. "And how's my favorite sister?"
Katja giggled as she rested her head against her uncle's broad shoulders and smiled at her mother.
"We are fine, just ready to see our new home," she replied to her brother.
"Anja, are you absolutely sure about this?" Hendrik asked on a more serious tone. "You don't have to take this assignment if you don't want to."
"I must," Anja replied. "They need expert medical facilities in this part of the quadrant, especially if the Federation is planning a permanent presence."
"It doesn't have to be you," he said quietly as he let Katja slide down to her feet on the ground.
Anja did not answer him but only looked him in the eye defiantly. He knew what her answer was and why. They already had this discussion many times on the way.
"Just take care of yourself," he said. "The Titus will be docked for another twenty-four hours. I'm on duty this shift but I will make sure I come by before we depart."
Anja nodded in acknowledgement and then said, "I'll see you soon."
* * *
"Our new commander arrived this morning," Rilar commented.
"Great, just what we need," Michael replied. "I hope he's not too stuffy or uptight."
"She's a Vulcan," his friend chuckled. "Don't you read the reports?"
"Oh, perfect. And no, I don't read them," Michael frowned. "What are you trying to do? Distract me?"
"No, no. Go ahead," Rilar motioned with a hearty smile spread wide across his face.
"Good," Michael said turning back to the table and positioning himself to hit the ball.
"Did that Jetallan engineer give you hell again today?" Rilar asked from his stool.
Michael waited and then made his shot. He grimaced as the ball ricocheted the opposite way he wanted.
"Why do you say that?"
"You're in a bad mood," Rilar said from his observation.
"At first I thought you were going to insult the way I am playing dom-jot," he retorted with a sarcastic sneer.
"Well, that too," Rilar laughed.
"Hey, look over there," Michael said glancing through the empty game room out to the Promenade deck. "We have a visitor."
Rilar turned and noticed a human woman in a Starfleet medical uniform stepping over some of the wreckage and damage of the station that was yet to be repaired. She came walking into the establishment where they sat. The lighting on the whole station was dim but her blond hair still shined brightly. Her face however, though seemingly no older than her mid-thirties, was covered with worry and the scars of long years past. The two men stood and turned to her as she came their way.
"Lieutenant, Commander," she said addressing them both. "Would either of you be so kind to show me where the nearest lift is?"
"Certainly," Rilar answered with an honorable bow of his head.
Rilar and Michael walked to the other entrance of the game hall and exited out onto the open walkway of the Promenade deck. The woman followed them until they came to the nearest lift.
"Thank you very much," she replied with a small, soft smile on her thin lips.
"We are glad to help," Rilar politely said and smiled in return. "By the way, my name is Lieutenant Commander Rilar Gital. If you need anything else, I would be happy to oblige."
"The station's Chief Tactical officer," the woman replied as she shook his hand that he had outstretched to her. "It is a pleasure."
"And I am Lieutenant James Michael," chipped in Rilar's friend who had surprisingly stayed quiet up until that moment. "Assistant Chief Engineer."
"Doctor Anja Senecal, Chief Medical Officer," she replied identifying herself.
A small movement behind the doctor caught both men's attention.
"Oh, I didn't see your daughter there," Rilar exclaimed as he saw the tiny pair of eyes peering from behind her mother's legs.
"Say hello, Katja," Senecal prompted her daughter.
"Hello," the little girl quietly said, still shyly peering at the two men, and then focusing her gaze on Rilar.
"Good day, Katja," Rilar said as he kneeled to be at her height.
"I never met a Bajoran before," she said with wide eyes.
"Well, I am pleased to be your first Bajoran friend," he said, once again flashing his warm smile.
"You'll be my friend?" she asked happily.
"If you would like me to be," he said. "And I see your spots, so you can be my first half-Trill friend."
"Ok," the little girl agreed with a tiny, shy smile and traced a couple fingers along her own neck as if she almost forgot the markings that had always been there.
"Come, Katja. We must be going," Senecal advised her a little nervously as they walked towards the lift and then turned to Rilar and Michael. "Thank you again for directing us."
"No problem," Michael replied with a wave.
Senecal smiled with a nod in their direction, her deep ocean blue eyes glancing at Michael and then switched to Rilar. He held her gaze with his own dark brown eyes for a moment until she broke it herself as she entered the lift. Michael and Rilar turned and made their way back along the walkway.
"You charmer," Michael said sarcastically.
"What?" Rilar said sincerely surprised.
"You're such a ladies man," his friend replied. "You always steal all the women's attention and affection."
"You must be joking," Rilar retorted with a laugh. "She had your Earth custom of a wedding ring on her hand, did you not notice?"
"I saw the way you had her looking at you," Michael said with a playful shove and then laughed. "Why were you looking for a ring anyway?"
"Oh leave me alone!" Rilar said playfully shoving Michael back as they entered the game hall. "Get back in there and play another game of dom-jot. At least that will keep you from spouting your mouth off."